Things you might want to know about Super Visa

Inviting Parents or Grandparents to Canada

For most visitors coming to Canada, they need a visa. Exemptions apply.

Each time when someone wants to invite his or her parents or grandparent to come to Canada, the parent or grandparent has to apply for a visa which usually allows visiting for up to 6 months at a time. If they wish to stay longer, they must pay a fee and apply for extension for another 6 months. It can be stressful and costly sometime. Some people chose to sponsor their parents or grandparents to immigrate to Canada instead. Unfortunately, effective November 5, 2011, Citizenship and Immigration Canada has temporarily stopped accepting new applications for the sponsorship of parents and grandparents. Since then, the Parent and Grandparent Program has been re-opened a few times at the beginning of each year and accepted thousands of new applications. It will re-open on January 3, 2017, with a cap of 10,000 new and complete applications. However, although Canadian citizens and permanent residents may not apply to sponsor their parent or grandparent for immigration to Canada during this temporary pause, a Parent and Grandparent Super Visa is now available. Many people were relieved to hear about the Super Visa. Instead of waiting years for the family reunion, now they can expect to come to Canada within weeks.

What is the Parent and Grandparent Super Visa?

The Parent and Grandparent Super Visa is a temporary resident permit with multiple-entry that allows parents and grandparents to stay for up to 2 years in Canada per visit. It is valid for up to 10 years.

Who is Eligible for Super Visa?

To apply for the parent and grandparent super visa, the applicant must:

• be the parent or grandparent of a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada
• be allowed to enter Canada
• meet certain other conditions

Immigration officers consider several things before they decide if the applicant can come to Canada. He/she must be a real visitor to Canada who will leave by choice at the end of his/her visit. An officer will look at these things when the person applies for Super Visa:

• the person’s ties to his or her home country
• the purpose of the visit
• the person’s family and financial situation
• the overall economic and political stability of the person’s home country
• an invitation from a Canadian host

The parent or grandparent must also do the following:

• prove that the child or grandchild in Canada meets a minimum income threshold
• provide a written statement from that child or grandchild that he or she will give the applicant financial support,
• have valid Canadian medical insurance coverage for at least one year and
• have an immigration medical examination

Super Visa Requirements for the Applicant

If you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident wishing to apply a Parent or Grandparent Super Visa for your parent or grandparent, you need to provide:

• a written and signed promise of your financial support for the parents or grandparents for their entire stay in Canada
• proof that your income meets or is above the low-income cut-off (LICO) for the total number of people, including the visiting parents or grandparents
• evidence of the parent or grandparent relationship (e.g., birth certificate, baptismal certificate or other official document)
• a letter of invitation from you that includes arrangements for care and support
• Proof of private medical insurance for the parent or grandparent valid for a minimum of one year from a Canadian insurance company

A letter of invitation does not guarantee to issue a visa. Visa officers will assess theapplicants to decide whether they meet the terms of Canada’s immigration law.

Information for the person writing the letter of invitation

Writing a letter of invitation does not mean you are legally responsible for the visitor once he or she gets to Canada. You should still write the letter in good faith. You must tell the truth and plan to keep the promises you make in the letter.

Send your letter (notarized, if the visa office asks for that) to the person you are inviting to Canada. The person must then send this letter to the Canadian embassy or consulate outside of Canada when he or she applies for a temporary resident visa.

You must include the information about the person you are inviting and yourself such as complete name, date of birth, address, photocopy of identification, family members etc.

How your Super Visa application is processed

• After sending the application, it will be reviewed at the visa office to make sure it has been completed correctly and that it contains all the required documents. A visa officer will decide if an interview with is necessary. If an interview is required, the person will be notified of the time and place.
• If the application is refused, the passport and all other documents will be returned to you. The person will also receive an explanation why application was refused. If the person sent fraudulent documents, they will not be returned.
• If the application is approved, the passport and documents will be returned to you with your visa.

Most applications for visitor visas are processed within a few weeks or less. Processing times vary depending on the visa office.

Contact Akrami & Associates

Now you are clear about what a super visa is and what you need to do for the super visa, it is not guaranteed that the visa will be issued. As a matter of fact, about 23% of the Super Visa applications are being refused.

You will have to meet strict requirements to avoid being denied. The process may not be complex, but there is a lot of paperwork and a strict process in place. Our law firm can handle these tasks easily as we handle many of these cases daily. No need to waste your precious time only to find out you may have forgotten a document or information, which can slow your super visa application down.

Also, there may be some occurrences that happen at the point of entry. We can help to identify and prepare, in advance, possible situations that may be encountered at the border entry in to Canada. Our hope is that if your parent or grandparent is detained or sent to secondary screening, that they understand this is not always a negative occurrence, but perhaps just a better understanding for the CBSA to allow subject entry into Canada.

Understanding the whole process and keeping all the necessary forms together may be a daunting task. We help to negate the overwhelming amount of information flow and keep things on track to help ensure a smooth process for the super visa applicant.

Contact us for further information. Our immigration lawyers can assist you with your application and give you the best chance for success.

With Akrami & Associates there is always a way!!